As The World Catches Fire

Chapter 5: Six Years Ago, Pt. I

Built along the Lake of Glass and far from the shadow of the Teeth was the sleepy town of Barje Vos, hidden gem of Azherbal. It was a town so old that the earth crawled up the sides of its pale wooden houses, flowery vines blanketing the roofs and even the tower of the town hall. Barje Vos was a town of colour. Lanterns made of crushed-petal paper glowed on every awning, residents laid handmade carpets on their doorsteps, and children learned from a young age how to embroider their woollen clothes with all the brightness of a summer field. The colour spread from Barje Vos over rolling hills, covered for half the year by sugary blossoms of every shade. The people of Barje Vos had harvested the spices from these blossoms for centuries, and their scent filled the air with a sweetness that clung to their skin and hair well into winter. The hills reached from the lake almost to the mountains, home to fat bees and butterflies as large as a baby's head. And just beyond those hills was an alder glade where Kamala hid whenever she was upset.

I rode my mother's mare over the well-worn path, careful not to crush any of the blossoms underfoot. Kamala's mother had told me that her ungrateful daughter hadn't showed up to mind the smithy that morning, and wondered aloud where that layabout saw her future going with such poor work ethic. I'd told her I had no idea where Kamala could have gone and promptly set off for the glade.

I found her pacing the edge of a stream, hurling pebbles into the water with some murmured rant under her breath. When she saw me approaching, she called "I'm staying with you tonight!"

With a small laugh, I tied up my horse and joined her by the stream. "I was going to say the same thing. My sister's cooking tonight."

She grimaced. "Woods it is."

I gave her a tight hug, and she squeezed back. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"My parents are trying to set me up with Lyn."

I pulled back and raised a brow. "Wait. Lyn as in I'll-Have-You-Know-My-Family-Owns-Four-Wineries Lyn?"

"Stop smiling, it's not funny."

"No, no. This is serious. So why are they trying to get you two lovebirds together? They want a few free bottles, that it?"

"They want us to marry."

My smile stuck. My hands dropped from Kamala.

"Lyn's family has money, connections ... Lyn's father promises to use his contacts with House Shrike family to land a weapons contract. Then I wouldn't need to take over the smithy. We'd have the money to open more shops and hire our own craftsmen. It's a smart match." She crossed her arms over her stomach like she was about to throw up.

I could feel my world crashing in on itself. Kamala and I were a unit. We'd been friends since we could walk. And I'd loved her since I'd learned what the word meant.

She turned away and stared into the stream. I wanted to freeze time, give myself all the seconds in eternity to memorize every inch of her. She'd left her hair down, and it curled down her back in messy black waves. As her mother often did, she'd applied a shimmering oil to her lids and arms in the custom from Mehrak, leaving a subtle glow on her sun-browned skin. She wore she the wool vest she'd made me a matching twin of—a long panel of periwinkle brocade embroidered with Barje Vos's flowers. But I lingered on her eyes. Normally so bright with laughter, now sunk into the depths of fear and sadness.

"When are you to be married?" I mumbled.

"Lyn's parents are to sign the betrothal contract in a few days. The wedding will be set for after are both of legal age."